Underwater exercise is well known for conditioning and strengthening the human body using the water resistance. The resistance of water reduces the gravitational stresses on joints, ligaments, and tendons associated with exercising on land. Exercising in water also has the additional advantage of cooling the body. Underwater exercise equipment has long been used by persons desiring increased muscle tone, weight loss, rehabilitation of injuries, and recreation. In particular, underwater jogging and cycling is popular due to its low impact on joints and decreased risk of injury.
Often aquatic exercise equipment is designed for a single purpose, that is, providing exercise. Thus, the equipment may not get much use except during exercise. Additionally, most aquatic equipment is bulky and takes up storage space. It would be advantageous to convert a recreational personal floatation device into aquatic exercise equipment when desired and back again.
Currently, the elongated personal floatation device, often called the water or pool “noodle,” is a very popular and inexpensive water toy used by kids and adults alike. The typical noodle-type floatation device is formed from a flexible, buoyant, closed-cell foam material having a density that permits the user to float in the water. The noodle-type floatation device can be solid or include a hollow core formed along the longitudinal length thereof. These flexible noodle-type floatation devices allow the user to place them between the legs, under their arms and across the back or chest for buoyant support for at least the head of the user. While mostly used to provide passive buoyant support, these noodle-type floatation devices are often incorporated into water aerobic exercises for their added resistance and drag underwater. These water aerobic exercises have the user push, pull, step, float, and balance on the noodle-type floatation device; however, these exercises do not entail modifying the noodle-type floatation device in any manner.
Thus, it is the purpose of the present invention to teach an aquatic exercise kit capable of being removably attached to a conventional noodle-type personal floatation device to convert it into an aquatic exercise assembly when desired and back again.